There are many types of foster care. The application process is similar for all types. Long term You foster children who cannot go back to their birth family but do not want to be adopted. Usually, you’ll be their foster carer until they’re an adult. Short term You look after children for up to 2 years while plans are made for their future. ‘Family and friends’ or ‘kinship’ You care for a child who you know or is part of your family - for example, your grandchild. Contact your council for information about becoming a ‘family and friends’ or ‘kinship’ carer. Emergency You give a child somewhere safe to stay for a few nights. This is usually unplanned and you could get less than 24 hours’ notice. Respite and short breaks You care for children while their parents or usual foster carers take a break. Remand You take care of young people who’ve been remanded by a court and are awaiting trial. You’ll usually need specialist training to be this type of foster carer. Parent and child You care for a parent and their baby or young child. You also help the parent to develop the skills they need to care for their child. This sometimes starts when the parent is still pregnant. Fostering for adoption You foster babies or young children who you may go on to adopt. If you’re fostering for adoption you’ll be entitled to adoption pay and leave from when the child comes to live with you. You need to have been approved as an adopter by a local council or agency to do fostering for adoption. Specialist therapeutic You provide specialist therapeutic care to children and young people with complex needs or challenging behaviour. This is for experienced foster carers or those with certain skills.

Help with the cost of fostering

All foster carers receive a foster care allowance to cover the cost of caring for a child. The minimum is usually between £176 and £309 a week. The total amount you get depends on: where you live which fostering service you use the child’s age if the child has specific needs your skills and experience The fostering service you apply to will tell you how much you can get. There’s more information about financial help in the guide for foster carers . Tax arrangements when you foster When you start fostering, you’ll need to register as self-employed and file tax returns. You’ll also be entitled to qualifying care relief which means you’ll: earn £20,440 from fostering before you have to pay tax get tax relief for every week you foster a child There’s more information about paying tax in the guide for foster carers . Claiming benefits Being a foster carer can affect the benefits you get. If you’re claiming benefits you’ll need to tell the organisation that pays you that you’re also getting foster care allowance. Use a benefits calculator to check what benefits you’re eligible for. For more help on how your benefits may change: contact the organisation that pays you get free fostering advice from Fosterline

Applying to become a foster carer

The process starts when you apply to become a foster carer and finishes with a decision from the fostering service. The process can take up to 8 months to complete. Steps 2 to 6 might happen in a different order. You apply to become a foster carer through your local council or regional recruitment hub or an independent fostering agency . You can only apply through one fostering service. The council or agency asks you to go to a preparation course on fostering. You and every adult that lives with you will need to pass an enhanced with barred lists Disclosure and Barring Service ( DBS ) check . A social worker assesses you and your family to check that you’re able to care for a child. You state any preferences about the type of foster care and the children you’ll care for, like age or gender. You cannot choose a child out of a group of children and you do not get a trial period with a foster child. The fostering service reviews your application. You’ll need to meet with their panel who will make a recommendation. The fostering service makes a decision on your application.

Your fostering assessment

Before you can foster a child you must pass an assessment by a social worker. Assessments have 2 stages that might be done separately or at the same time. Stage 1 - practical information about your circumstances A social worker will ask questions to assess if fostering is right for you. They will ask: about the property you live in and any pets you have for your personal information including your relationship history about your general level of health (you’ll need to get a medical statement, usually from a GP) if you or anyone in your home has ever applied to foster, adopt, or become a childminder about who else is living with you, including other children about children in the family who do not live with you for the names and addresses of at least 2 people who can give references for you and every adult who lives with you (they do not have to be the same 2 people for everyone) They can ask for more information or run other checks. Stage 2 - detailed information about you and your family A social worker will ask more questions so that they can get to know you and your family. They will ask: about your personality if you have religious beliefs for your ethnicity, cultural background and what languages you speak if you’re willing and able to care for a child of a different religion, ethnicity or cultural background, or a child that speaks a different language to you for your employment history and about your standard of living about your hobbies and interests if you have ever cared for children if you have any useful skills relevant to fostering Where you’ll be assessed Different fostering services assess you in different ways, for example they could: visit you at home call you invite you to meetings

After your assessment

The fostering service will contact you to tell you the result of your application. If you’re approved you’ll start training and meet your social workers. If you’re not approved you can appeal the decision . The fostering service should also tell you the reasons why you were not approved. Once you’re approved The fostering service will add you to their list of available foster carers. They’ll send you a profile of any child they think is a good fit. Once you’ve let the fostering service know if you’d like to foster the child, they’ll tell if you’ve been chosen. In some cases you’ll get to meet the child before they come to live with you. You might not if it’s an emergency placement. You’ll get training and support throughout the time you’re fostering. You have the right to end a placement by giving 28 days’ notice.

Becoming a foster carer in England

Who can foster

Being a foster carer means caring for a child as part of your family.

Foster carers are sometimes known as ‘foster parents’.

To become a foster carer you must:

have the right to work in the UK
be able to take care of a child or young person

You must also be at least 18 years old, though most fostering services will require you to be at least 21.

This guidance applies to England. There’s different fostering guidance if you live in Scotland, live in Wales or live in Northern Ireland.

How long you care for the child depends on the type of foster care. It can range from one night to many years, or until the child is an adult.

If you’re already fostering a child, there’s more information about help and support for foster carers.

You may be able to work and foster. Whether you can depends on the child’s circumstances and the fostering service you apply to. This can be:

your local council
your regional recruitment hub (local councils who jointly recruit foster carers)
an independent fostering agency

You do not need to own your home, but usually you’ll need to have a spare bedroom.

Before you can foster, you must pass a fostering assessment to check that you’re able to care for a child.

Your employer may let you take time off work when a child first comes to live with you or for things like training. You do not have a statutory right to time off.

If you’re fostering for adoption, you’ll be entitled to adoption pay and leave from when the child comes to live with you.

Your responsibilities

If you become a foster carer you’ll need to:

care for the child as part of a team - this could include a local authority, schools, health professionals and the child’s birth family
keep records and write reports about the foster child
attend meetings and advocate for the child
help the child manage their behaviour and feelings
attend training

Support from Fosterline

Call Fosterline for free to get advice on fostering. You can also read more about fostering on the Fosterline website.

Fosterline
Telephone: 0800 040 7675
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (except bank holidays)
Find out about call charges

View a printable version of the whole guide

Becoming a foster carer in England

Who can foster

Your responsibilities

Support from Fosterline

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Becoming a foster carer in England

Who can foster

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